43063

Chrome-chromium spill [North Carolina] 

November 14, 2006

Hi I recently purchased a old warner plating that came with several jars of gold ,silver,chromium and copper.the jars contents were dried up but still in powder form.in shipping the chromium, gold and silver jars were broken.the powders were all over everywhere. I cleaned it up with no rubber gloves a vacum and a wet papertowel . now I'm told the chromium is highly contaminated that if a beaker was spilled on my garage floor it would contaminats all well within 2 city blocks please tell me that I'm not going to die. and everyone else that enters my kitchen thank you,

Brett
- Coinjock, NC

Chromium is not plutonium, Brett, you're not going to die. If your fingers aren't badly stained brown, you probably were exposed to very little chromium; and even if they were, it's probably not anything to worry about.

Yes a large beaker of full-strength chromium plating solution may be enough to contaminate the wells in a 2-block radius. I would throw away that vacuum cleaner bag instead of having the dust escape, and suggest that you try to turn the remnants from the broken jars into the county next time they have a hazardous waste collection.

 
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick, NJ